A case of unilateral catalepsy / by T. Grainger Stewart.
- Stewart Thomas Grainger, Sir, 1837-1900.
- Date:
- [1876?]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A case of unilateral catalepsy / by T. Grainger Stewart. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![power then manifestiug itself in structures which could not be brought into play by any effort of the will. It is clear enougli that all these phenomena were of what we term a functional character, and it may be surmised that they were due to anaemia of nerve centres. It is further certain that cerebral, motor, and sensory functions were interfered Avith. Considering the loss of consciousness and the equal dilatation of the pupils, it is probable that both cerebral hemispheres were the seat of the temporary lesion, whatever its nature might be, while the unilateral character of the sensory and the motor phenomena implied that a lateral half only of the nerve centres to which the phenomena were due was involved. Now tliis might be either a cerebral or a spinal segment of the central nervous system, and if we consider that the sensory phenomena were on one side, the motor on the other, and that the face remained unaffected, the idea is naturally suggested that an affection of one lateral half of the cord might account for both sets of symptoms. It would, however, be extremely rash in the present state of our knowledge to come to any definite conclu- sion as to the pathology of the condition, or as to the particular portion of the nerve centres involved. The result of the treatment was of considerable interest. The patient showed little or no natural tendency to recovery, although that appears to be the usual termination of such cases. But the administration of the bromide of potassium and of the oxide of zinc was followed by speedy improvement. These are the remedies which the experience of Hammond* has led him to rely upon in this condition, and in this case the benefit which followed their administration seemed to me to be due to them, and not merely to a coincidence. * Op. cit. ]). 596.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21696676_0006.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
